1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to the field of laminates, and more specifically to laminates of a plurality of contoured layers of non-uniform thickness and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, multi-layered veneer laminates of non-uniform thickness have been made either by pressing flat, uniformly thick, sheets of veneer and glue together on a mold, then milling the already formed laminated material to give it the desired thickness pattern, or by cutting out or otherwise removing pieces of the veneer sheets from what is to be the thinner area before the layers are pressed together on a three-dimensional mold. The existing methods of varying the thickness of veneer laminates weaken the material as some of the veneer layers are discontinuous.
For applications of veneer laminates such as furniture and skateboard decks, it is desirable to use a laminate that is lightweight, strong and aesthetically pleasing. The thickness of a laminated material, such as a skateboard deck, may be varied for functional purposes, for example to provide strength, to achieve flexibility in certain parts of the deck, to provide an adequate grip on the deck surface or to provide an aid to foot placement, or for aesthetic purposes. However, by using traditional methods to create a contoured, multi-layered veneer laminate deck of non-uniform thickness, the board is weakened by compromising the continuity of the veneer layers.